Live UpdateFrom the Liveblog of Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Next war with Hamas must be the last, defense official says

15 June 2016, 4:21 pm 0 Edit

A senior defense official tells Israeli reporters the next round of fighting in the Gaza Strip against the Hamas terror group must be the last.

“A war of attrition is not an option. The next confrontation must be the last in terms of Hamas’ regime,” the official says.

Israel launched operations in Gaza in 2009, 2012, and in 2014 waged a 50-day campaign against Hamas to eliminate the tunnel threat.

The defense official stresses that Israel does not seek another war, but says “Hamas is a growing threat.”

“Their goal is destroying the State of Israel,” the official adds.

The unnamed senior source also slams PA President Mahmoud Abbas, saying he does not have the authority to sign a peace deal.

IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, center, and head of the Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir, left, inspect a newly discovered ‘terror tunnel,’ believed to have been dug by Hamas terrorists from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, on April 18, 2016. (IDF Spokesperson/FLASH90)